Grand Forks

Red River Valley title page vol 2

The Dinnie Brothers of Grand Forks, North Dakota

The Dinnie Brothers are probably the largest contractors in the state of North Dakota. More cities and towns in the valley of the Red river are creations of that firm to a larger extent in the brick and stone building line than can be attributed to any other firm in this part of the Northwest. To particularize would be to require mention of almost hundreds of buildings, and in point of time cover a period extending over a quarter of a century. John and James Dinnie came to Grand Forks, March 20, 1881. They began as common brick-layers and, in …

The Dinnie Brothers of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Joseph B De Reemer

Biography of Joseph Bell DeRemer of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Joseph Bell DeRemer, of Grand Forks, was born September 14, 1871, in Montana, Warren county, New Jersey. His father was James K. Polk DeRemer and his mother Nancy (Bell) DeRemer. He received his education in the common school at New Village, Warren county, New Jersey. Later he was a special student in architecture at Columbia University, New York city. He followed the occupation of a carpenter from March, 1886, to May 1, 1896, and made himself a master of the trade, also devoting himself to the study of the building art. He then entered Columbia University, taking a special course …

Biography of Joseph Bell DeRemer of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

E C Cooper

Biography of E. C. Cooper of Grand Forks, North Dakota

E. C. Cooper, commissioner of insurance, has been a resident of Grand Forks, North Dakota, since 1883. He was born in Antioch, Illinois, April 11, 1856, and moved to Iowa with his parents when six years of age, where he lived until his removal to Grand Forks, where he first took a position with a large lumbering concern, and remained with the same firm until he embarked in the insurance business on his own account, and has since been identified with only the oldest and most conservative insurance companies in existence, and the character of his work has especially fitted …

Biography of E. C. Cooper of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

George B Clifford

Biography of George B. Clifford of Grand Forks, North Dakota

George B. Clifford was born at Concord, New Hampshire, March 10, 1858. His parents were Benjamin B. Clifford and Ruth N. (George) Clifford. He was educated in the public schools of Concord, New Hampshire; Newton and Chelsea, Massachusetts, and at Wilbraham Academy, Wilbraham, Massachusetts. After leaving school he taught school in Vermont for one winter, and during the following summer he commenced studying law with Governor Roswell Farnham, of Bradford, Vermont. He finished his law course at Montpelier, Vermont., and was admitted to the bar of Washington county, Vermont, in March, 1881. In April, 1881, Mr. Clifford located at Grand …

Biography of George B. Clifford of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of James Arnold Canniff of Grand Forks, North Dakota

James Arnold Canniff, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was born in Ontario, Canada, November 5, 1868. His parents were Thomas O. and Elizabeth J. Canniff. He was educated in the schools of Grand Forks, and commenced business in 1885, succeeding T. C. Canniff, in the wall paper, paint and oil business. He was elected alderman of Grand Forks, in 1896, and served nine years. He served as chairman of the Republican County Central Committee in 1904-5. He is a member of the Elks, Knights of Pythias, and Odd Fellows. On June 17, 1893, Mr. Canniff was married at Grand Forks, …

Biography of James Arnold Canniff of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Andrew A Bruce

Biography of Andrew A. Bruce of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Andrew A. Bruce, dean of the college of law, University of North Dakota, was born April 15, 1866, in the mountain fort of Nunda Drug, in Madras, India, of Scotch parents. His father was General Edward Archibald Bruce, of the British army. His mother, Anne McMaster Bruce, was a daughter of Colonel Robert McMaster, of the British army. Both of his parents died when he was a child and he came alone to America, when fifteen years of age. He worked his own way through college and graduated from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin law school. …

Biography of Andrew A. Bruce of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of General William H. Brown of Grand Forks, North Dakota

General William H. Brown. Probably no one stands higher in the estimation of every one in the Red River valley than our esteemed citizen, William H. Brown, first mayor of Grand Forks. As a pioneer of the place, he was one of the early residents to blaze the way for others, and to him and his contemporaries the people of this city owe a debt of gratitude. General Brown is a native of North Hampton, Massachusetts, where he was born seventy-seven years ago, dating the event from the thirteenth of November, 1907. His father, Joseph S. Brown, was a carpenter, …

Biography of General William H. Brown of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of Ole Bolstad of Northwood, North Dakota

Ole Bolstad, who is a successful dentist in active practice at Northwood, North Dakota, was born at Ringsaker, Norway, October 3, 1875, son of Ole L. and Thonethe Bolstad. They were farmers in their native country, being poor tenants till they immigrated to America in 1880. They arrived at Philadelphia, July 4, that year, and from there went to Richland county, North Dakota. Our subject lived on the farm with his parents, received the rudiments of his education at the district school, which was supplemented by a course at the Mayville Normal, and a two year scientific course at the …

Biography of Ole Bolstad of Northwood, North Dakota Read More »

David Beecher

Biography of David H. Beecher of Grand Forks, North Dakota

The subject of this sketch, Mr. David H. Beecher, is one of the pioneer and successful bankers of the Red River Valley, entering this field as a banker in 1884 at Park River, Walsh county, North Dakota. Mr. Beecher was born in Rushford, Allegany county, New York, March 15, 1852, where he resided with his parents until the age of twelve, when the family removed to Tioga county, New York. At the age of eighteen he went to Binghamton, New York, to complete his education and entered business there at the age of twenty-three. He resided at Binghamton until 1883, …

Biography of David H. Beecher of Grand Forks, North Dakota Read More »

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of William John Bailey of Inkster, North Dakota

William John Bailey, lumber dealer, of Inkster, North Dakota, was born December 11, 1854, at Toronto, Canada. His parents, Alexander and Susan Bailey, were both natives of County Monaghan, Ireland. They came to Toronto, in 1840. His father was a carpenter by trade. William J. was educated in the schools of Toronto, Canada, and came to Euclid, Minnesota, in 1881, and engaged in the lumber business; in 1883 and 1884, he operated a sash and door factory, at Crookston, Minnesota. In 1884, he removed to North Dakota, and began his present business at Inkster. He is a member of the …

Biography of William John Bailey of Inkster, North Dakota Read More »

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top